Dayton State Park is a lovely little park along the Carson River with a historic background surrounding silver mining in the area. There are only 10 campsites and until Covid-19 hit, you could almost always find a spot. That’s no guarantee now but I suspect visitation will subside over winter with no hookups at the park. It does get quite cold here in the winter.
The sites are gravel and largely level. The first half of the loop is more tent-friendly sized spaces and the latter half have a bit more room for larger rigs. They are all surrounded by majestic cottonwoods that are utterly glorious in the fall. The tree cover is great for summer shade but a challenge if you’re managing a solar setup. There are some sites that are less shaded to offset that, though. There’s central water, flush toilets, and trash receptacles.
The dump station is open intermittently and I’ve yet to understand the pattern to when it is and isn’t. There are two free dump stations I’m aware of in Carson City, though-- at the Maverik (at Hwy 50 and College Ave.) and the new Golden Gate (at College Ave. and Retail Dr.).
The park is split by Hwy 50 with the stamp mill ruins on the west side and the campground and restrooms on the east side. There is a foot tunnel connecting the two bits but it’s a bit dicey from a safety standpoint so I’d recommend strolling to the aboveground crosswalk a little down the road.
Dayton State Park is a sweet little place full of potential but largely unloved and overlooked. As a former Dayton resident, I’ve gotten to witness the park’s challenges over time. In talking with the park supervisor about it, she acknowledged Dayton has its struggles, sometimes involving crime, and that the Nevada park system is underfunded and understaffed like most public lands departments. I’ve not had any issues when staying there but have witnessed some questionable activity in the day use area.
It seems the tide is turning as locals have begun to reclaim it in recent months and have been putting in substantial volunteer time to freshen it up and give it the love it deserves. I’m hopeful that effort will help Dayton SP become a destination instead of just a place to stop over for the night. We’re looking forward to joining in after our post-full-timer lives once we get our house built nearby.
A note about fires: this is a volatile wildfire area so charcoal fires and smoking outdoors are often banned much of the year. Don’t count on being able to grill in any Nevada State Park during fire seasons. Have a backup plan or support some of the local business in my little town-- Js’ Oldtown Bistro on Main Street is absolutely wonderful. It’s my absolute favorite restaurant but since it's off the main drag(US 50), you might not notice it. And for scrumptious tamales and other Mexican fare, The Lady Tamales is right by the park. The Pizza Factory has also delivered to us in the park if you’re looking for your dinner to come to you.
